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May
14
Following his catechesis in this morning’s general audience, Benedict XVI launched an appeal for “the people of Sichuan and adjoining provinces in China, so harshly affected by the earthquake which has provoked serious loss of human life, left large numbers missing
and caused incalculable damages.
“I invite you to join me in fervent prayer for those who have lost their lives. I remain spiritually close to the people suffering from such a devastating calamity; and we implore God to grant them relief in their suffering”. The Pope concluded his appeal by asking the Lord “to give support to all those involved in meeting the immediate needs” of the
victims.
May
14
Pontifical Acts
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Holy Father appointed Bishop Romulo T. de la Cruz of San Jose de Antique, Philippines, as bishop of Kidapawan (area 5,199, population 783,179, Catholics 418,803, priests 42, religious 64), Philippines.
May
14
Mackenzie-Fort Smith Gets New Bishop
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Bishop Denis Croteau, meaning Coadjutor Bishop Murray Chatlain now takes over the Mackenzie-Fort Smith Diocese.For almost 22 years, Bishop Croteau, 75, served the sprawling, sparsely populated diocese that covers most of the Northwest Territories and portions of neighboring provinces and territories.
Murray Chatlain, 45, was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was ordained a priest in 1987 and was appointed the coadjutor bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith in 2007.
The Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith is served by just eight diocesan and religious priests, three permanent deacons, 15 religious, and 16 pastoral workers. They minister to a population of about 20,110 Catholics (some 68% of the overall population) in 40 parishes and missions spread over 588,413 square miles. Courtesy Zenit.org
May
14
Telegram for the Death of Cardinal Gantin
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Benedict XVI sent the following telegram to Archbishop Marcel Honorat Leon Agboton of Cotonou, Benin, for the death of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean emeritus of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Gantin died in Paris, France, yesterday at the age of 86.
“Having learned the sad news of the death of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean emeritus of the College of Cardinals, I unite myself in prayer to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Benin, to the faithful of the archdiocese of Cotonou and of all Benin, to the family of the deceased and to all those who mourn. I ask God the Father, from Whom all mercy comes, to welcome into His light and peace this eminent son of Benin and of Africa who, universally esteemed, was animated by a profound apostolic spirit and by an exalted sense of the Church and her mission in the world. I give thanks to the Lord for his fruitful ministry, first as archbishop of Cotonou then, for many years, at the Holy See which he served faithfully and generously, especially in the Congregation for Bishops and as a member of the College of Cardinals, of which he was also a much-respected dean. In sign of consolation, I send an affectionate apostolic blessing to the priests, religious, catechists and all the faithful of Benin, and to those who will participate in his funeral”. (VIS)
May
14
In today’s general audience, held in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father resumed his series of catecheses on the Fathers of the Church, concentrating his remarks on the figure of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite whose aim, said the Pope, was “to place Greek wisdom at the service of the Gospel”.
Benedict XVI explained how, during a period marked by “harsh disputes following the Council of Chalcedon”, this sixth-century author affirmed the fact that “the light of truth … eradicates error and brings the good to shine forth. With this principle he purified Greek thought, bringing it into relation with the Gospel”.
The Pseudo-Dionysius used Greek polytheism “to show the truth of Christ and transform the polytheistic world into a cosmos created by God” in which “all creatures together reflect the truth of God”.
“Because the creature is a glorification of God, the Pseudo-Dionysius’ theology becomes a theological liturgy. God is found, above all, by praising Him and not just through reflection”.
This Father of the Church created the first “great mystical theology. … With him the word ‘mystical’ took on a more personal and intimate meaning: it expresses the soul’s journey towards God. … The Pseudo-Dionysius shows that at the end of the road to God is God Himself, Who comes close to us in Jesus Christ”.
“Today Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite assumes fresh relevance”, said the Holy Father. “He appears as a greater mediator in the modern dialogue between Christianity and the mystical theologies of Asia, the well-known characteristic of which lies in their conviction that it cannot be said who God is, that He can be spoken of only in negative terms, … and that only by entering this experience of ‘no’ can He be reached”.
Dialogue, said Benedict XVI “does not accept superficiality. It is when we enter deeply into the encounter with Christ that a vast area for dialogue opens before us. When one meets the light of truth, one realises that it is a light for everyone: disputes disappear and it becomes possible to understand one another, or at least to speak to and approach one another”. (VIS)
May
14
Prelate Asks Governor to Forgo Eucharist
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas, has joined his voice to that of other U.S. prelates in asking local pro-abortion politicians to refrain from receiving the Eucharist.Archbishop Joseph Naumann said Friday in the Leaven, the archdiocese’s official newspaper, that he repeated a request to Governor Kathleen Sebelius to not receive Communion.Archbishop Naumann’s message comes after both Cardinal Edward Egan of New York and Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., have recently addressed the issue. Their messages came in the wake of Benedict XVI’s trip to their respective archdioceses, during which various pro-abortion politicians received the Eucharist.
Archbishop Naumann said: “What makes the governor’s actions and advocacy for legalized abortion, throughout her public career, even more painful for me is that she is Catholic. Sadly, Governor Sebelius is not unique in being a Catholic politician supporting legalized abortion.
“Since becoming archbishop, I have met with Governor Sebelius several times over many months to discuss with her the grave spiritual and moral consequences of her public actions by which she has cooperated in the procurement of abortions performed in Kansas. My concern has been, as a pastor, both for the spiritual well-being of the governor but also for those who have been misled — scandalized — by her very public support for legalized abortion.”
Additional actionsArchishop Naumann said he consulted with the other three bishops of Kansas and then “wrote the governor last August requesting that she refrain from presenting herself for reception of the Eucharist until she had acknowledged the error of her past positions, made a worthy sacramental confession and taken the necessary steps for amendment of her life which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion.”
“Recently,” he lamented, “it came to my attention that the governor had received holy Communion at one of our parishes. I have written to her again, asking her to respect my previous request and not require from me any additional pastoral actions.”
The prelate asked the faithful of the archdiocese to pray for Sebelius. And he continued, “I hope that my request of the governor, not to present herself for holy Communion, will provoke her to reconsider the serious spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present actions. At the same time, I pray this pastoral action on my part will help alert other Catholics to the moral gravity of participating in and/or cooperating with the performance of abortions.”
The Kansas prelate had another motive for publicly announcing his request to Sebelius: She vetoed the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act on April 21.
The act aimed to ensure that women are given information about the development of their unborn children and the alternatives to abortion that are available.
It also included a provision for bringing legal action against doctors suspected of performing illegal late-term abortions. Kansas is home to one of the nation’s most notorious late-term abortion providers, George Tiller, whose Web site claims “more experience in late abortion services over 24 weeks than anyone else currently practicing in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Australia.”
Tiller is a financial supporter of Sebelius’ political campaign. Courtesy Zenit.org
May
14
Pontiff: Communism Left Legacy of Distrust
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Long years of communist rule left people unable to trust, says Benedict XVI, who urged Hungarian prelates to show the faithful that the Church is a mother.The Pope made this invitation Saturday when he received prelates from the Hungarian bishops’ conference, at the end of their five-yearly visit to Rome.
“The people entrusted to your care now stand before us spiritually, with their joys, their plans, their suffering, their problems and their hopes,” the Holy Father said. “The long period of communist rule left a deep mark on the Hungarian people, and even today its consequences are evident, particularly in the difficulty many find in trusting others, a typical trait of people who have long lived in an atmosphere of suspicion.
“The sense of insecurity is accentuated by the difficult economic situation, which thoughtless consumerism does nothing to improve.”
“People, including Catholics, suffer from that ‘weakness’ of thought and will which is so common in our times,” the Pontiff lamented. Hence, “profound theological and spiritual reflection becomes difficult because […] of the lack, on the one hand, of intellectual preparation and, on the other, of an objective reference to the truths of faith.”
“In such a situation,” he said, “the Church must certainly be a teacher, but always and above all a mother, so as to favor the development of reciprocal trust and the promotion of hope.”
Family crisis
Benedict XVI spoke of the effects of secularization in the country, emphasizing the crisis of the family, which includes among its symptoms “a notable drop in the number of marriages and an astonishing increase in divorces,” as well as a growth “in so-called de facto couples.”
“You have rightly criticized public recognition of homosexual unions, because it runs counter not only to the teaching of the Church but also to the Hungarian Constitution itself,” the Holy Father told the prelates. He further noted how “the lack of subsidies for large families has led to a drastic drop in the birthrate, made even more dramatic due to the widespread practice of abortion.”
Benedict XVI emphasized that the crisis of values is also affecting young people, and he expressed his appreciation for “the many initiatives the Church promotes, though with the limited means at her disposal, to animate the world of youth with formation activities […] that stimulate their sense of responsibility.”
He praised the bishops’ initiatives to “take advantage of and modernize such traditional activities as pilgrimages and expressions of veneration to Hungarian saints, especially St. Elisabeth, St. Emeric, and of course, St. Stephen.”
Source of comfort
Benedict XVI also said he shared the prelates’ concern “for the lack of priests and the consequent overburden of pastoral work on the current ministers of the Church.”
In this context, he invited them to ensure that clergy “do not lose the focus of their lives and their ministry and, as a consequence, remain able to discern the essential from the secondary, identifying the right priorities for everyday life.”
But the Pope also pointed out positive elements in the state of the Church in Hungary.
“Despite secularization the Catholic Church remains, for many Hungarians, the religious community of choice or, at least, an important point of reference. It is therefore to be hoped that relations with state authorities remain characterized by respectful collaboration, thanks also to bilateral agreements,” the Holy Father said.
And, he affirmed that the unity characterizing the Hungarian prelates “in following the teachings of the Church, is for me a cause of serenity and comfort.” Courtesy Zenit.org
May
14
Benedict XVI Endorses Pro-life Efforts in Italy
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Benedict XVI thanked Italy’s Movement for Life for the countless unborn children whose lives they have saved, urging the group to fearlessly continue in its work.The Pope said this today when he received in audience members of the Italian organization, led by their president Carlo Casini. This year, Italy marks the 30th anniversary of legalized abortion.
The Holy Father told the movement members, “It is your intention to suggest profound reflections on the human and social effects the law has produced in the civil and Christian community during that period.
“We cannot but recognize that, in practical terms, defending human life has become more difficult today, because a mentality has been developed that progressively devalues human life and entrusts it to the judgment of individuals.
“A consequence deriving therefrom is lessened respect for the human person, a value that lies at the foundation of any form of civil coexistence, over and above the faith a person may profess.”
The Pontiff affirmed that abortion “not only has not resolved the problems afflicting many women and no small number of families, but it has opened another wound in our societies.”
Helping families
Benedict XVI called for combined efforts to ensure that “institutions once again focus their activities on the defense of human life and the priority concern for families. […] Families must be helped, using all legislative means to facilitate their formation and their educational work in the difficult social context of today.”
“It is necessary to bear concrete witness to the fact that respect for life is the first form of justice that must be applied,” he continued. “For those who have the gift of faith this becomes an imperative that cannot be deferred. […] Only God is the Lord of life. Each human being is known, loved, wanted and guided by him, […] and each has his origins in God’s creative plan.”
The Pope pointed out that this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and he praised the movement’s commitment “in the political sphere, assisting and encouraging the institutions to ensure that correct recognition is given to the words ‘human dignity.’”
“Your initiative in the European Parliament’s Commission for Petitions, in which you affirm the fundamental values of the right to life from the moment of conception, of the family founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, of the right of all conceived human beings to be born and educated in a family of parents, is further confirmation of the solidity of your commitment and your full communion with the Church’s magisterium, which has always proclaimed and defended such values as ‘non negotiable.’”
Benedict XVI concluded by thanking his audience for their service “to the Church and to society. How many human lives have you saved from death! Continue along this path and do not be afraid, so that the smile of life may triumph on the lips of all children and their mothers.”
Courtesy Zenit.org
May
14
Indulgence Linked to Day of Prayer for China
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Benedict XVI is offering the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence to those who participate in the events surrounding the May 24 World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. In a notice to parishes, the Hong Kong Diocese announced May 9 that at the request of Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop of Hong Kong, the Pope is making a plenary indulgence available to the faithful. To receive the plenary indulgence, the faithful should participate in one of the solemn functions to be held May 15-25 in the diocese, as well as fulfilling the customary conditions. Those who are unable to participate due to sickness or other grave reasons can also obtain the indulgence by uniting themselves spiritually with those present at the celebrations, offering their prayers and sufferings to the God of mercy for the Church in China. “It is the wish of the Holy Father that the faithful will more and more yearn for and put into practice the supernatural virtues, especially faith, hope and charity, and that they will strengthen their communion with the Roman Pontiff, who is the visible foundation of the unity of the whole Catholic Church,” the diocese said. Benedict XVI proclaimed May 24, memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians, a World Day of Prayer for the Church in China in his May 27, 2007, letter to Chinese Catholics.
May
14
Prelates: Catholic Schools Give Life Training
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Irish Bishops’ Conference Issues Pastoral Letter
Irish bishops are defending the role of Catholic schools, noting that the Church’s educational institutions are focused on the development of the whole human person.The bishops’ conference issued a pastoral letter for Pentecost, titled “Vision 08: A Vision for Catholic Education in Ireland.”
Bishop Leo O’Reilly, chair of the Education Commission of the conference, launched the letter at a press conference Monday.
The letter, available also in leaflet format, initially asks the questions: “Why Catholic schools in modern Ireland? What is the special character of such schools? How do they contribute to society and the educational system of which they form such a significant part?”
And against that backdrop, the bishops set forth an “understanding of the nature and purpose of the Catholic school in Ireland today.”
Acknowledging that Catholic schools share many characteristics with public institutions, the bishops nevertheless affirmed that “Catholic schools seek to reflect a distinctive vision of life and a corresponding philosophy of education.”
“This is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” the pastoral letter noted. “The Gospel sees the world in which we live as God’s creation. As human persons, we are made in God’s image and destined for everlasting life with God. Life is a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Jesus, who is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life.’”
This underlying philosophy brings Catholic schools to focus on educating each student in all of the dimensions of the human person.
The letter explained: “Catholic education aims to help each student to develop his or her full potential as a human being. It will do so by preparing and disposing our pupils for this fullness of life, by enabling them to be people who are fully alive. Education means the development of the whole person.
“An education which makes no room to address the fundamental questions about the meaning of life could not be described as seeking such holistic development. By educating students in their every dimension according to the Gospel, Catholic schools seek to transform not only the individual human lives of our pupils but also, through them, the wider society which they will help to build.”
Reasoning
Like the Church itself, the bishops continued, Catholic educational institutions place high importance on the use of reason.
“Catholic education has always placed a high value on reason, both intellectual and practical,” the prelates wrote. “In continuity with the earliest traditions of the Church, it regards education and the cultivation of intellectual life as precious in themselves. It sees the use of rational thought and scientific analysis as essential to the advancement of technology and human progress.”
“The whole human person […] is the focus of the Catholic school’s educational endeavor,” the letter continued. “Its mission is to help students to grow in confidence and self-esteem and to develop their humanity. It should lay foundations for life-long growth and hope, freed from ignorance and the other factors which can inhibit human flourishing.
“The promotion of a wide range of co-curricular activities within the school and the local community reflects this focus on the personal development of each pupil.”
Education in a Catholic school, the Irish bishops affirmed, is preparation for life.
“Catholic education is inspired by the Gospel and, as such, respects the freedom and dignity of every human being,” they stated. “It teaches students to recognize the difference between right and wrong in their personal lives and in their relations with others. It tries to develop each one’s capacity to reflect on and respond to the often difficult and complex moral issues which confront us as individuals and as a society.
“It does this in the light of the Gospel and the rich tradition of Catholic principles concerning respect for life, personal fidelity, justice, truthfulness and integrity of conscience.
“A central part of the endeavor of the Catholic school is to inculcate in pupils the qualities of personal integrity and moral courage which are marks of an authentic Christian personality.”
Courtesy Zenit.org
May
13
Holy See Website Now Available in Latin
May 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Holy See website may now be accessed in Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church. A new option, “Sancta Sedes Latine”, has now been added. Clinking on that link, users reach the “Documenta Latina” page where they may chose from a menu including: biographies of Popes (”Summi Pontifices”), the Bible (”Biblia Sacra”), the Catechism (”Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae”), the documents of Vatican Council II (”Concilium Vaticanum II”), and the Code of Canon Law (”Codex Iuris Canonici”). There is also a section entitled “Romana Curia” where documents concerning the activities of the dicasteries of the Holy See may be consulted.
Also under “Romana Curia” is a subsection dedicated to “Latinitas”, a foundation created in 1976 by Pope Paul VI with the Chirograph “Romani sermonis” and dedicated to the study of the Latin language, of classical and Christian literature and medieval Latin, and to the promotion of Latin through the publishing of books in the language, and through other means.
May
13
“The emigrant and itinerant family” is the theme of the 18th plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, which was inaugurated this morning by Cardinal Renato Martino, president of that dicastery.
In his opening address, the cardinal drew from the most recent documents published by the pontifical council, in order to illustrate the pastoral guidelines it follows in the various areas in which it undertakes its mission.
A communique released by the council explains that the plenary - which is being held in the Vatican from 13 to 15 May - is to be attended by 26 members, including cardinals, archbishops and bishops from various countries, and by 14 consultors, also of various nationalities, specialists in the various aspects of human mobility with which the council concerns itself. These aspects, listed by the communique, are: emigrants, refugees and displaced persons, foreign students, nomads, circus workers, tourists and pilgrims, seafarers, airport workers, drivers, women and children who live on the streets, and people of no fixed abode.
Over these days the plenary assembly is also scheduled to include testimonies from people who work directly with families in certain sectors of human mobility, from various countries: Australia, U.S.A., Colombia, Dominican Republic, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. (VIS)
May
12
This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received members of the Italian organisation Movement for Life, led by their president Carlo Casini.
Opening his address to them, Benedict XVI recalled how the year 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the legalisation of abortion in Italy. “It is your intention”, he told his audience, “to suggest profound reflections on the human and social effects the law has produced in the civil and Christian community during that period”.
“We cannot but recognise”, he went on, “that, in practical terms, defending human life has become more difficult today, because a mentality has been created that progressively devalues human life and entrusts it to the judgement of individuals. A consequence deriving therefrom is lessened respect for the human person, a value that lies at the foundation of any form of civil coexistence, over and above the faith a person may profess”.
Abortion “not only has not resolved the problems afflicting many women and no small number of families, but it has opened another wound in our societies” said the Holy Father. He also called for combined efforts to ensure that “institutions once again focus their activities on defence of human life and priority concern for families. … Families must be helped, using all legislative means to facilitate their formation and their educational work in the difficult social context of today”.
“It is necessary to bear concrete witness to the fact that respect for life is the first form of justice that must be applied. For those who have the gift of faith this becomes an imperative that cannot be deferred. … Only God is the Lord of life. Each human being is known, loved, wanted and guided by Him, … and each has his origins in God’s creative plan”.
The Pope pointed out that this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and he praised the Movement for Life’s commitment “in the political sphere, assisting and encouraging the institutions to ensure that correct recognition is given to the words ‘human dignity’.
“Your initiative in the European Parliament’s Commission for Petitions, in which you affirm the fundamental values of the right to life from the moment of conception, of the family founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, of the right of all conceived human beings to be born and educated in a family of parents, is further confirmation of the solidity of your commitment and your full communion with the Church’s Magisterium which has always proclaimed and defended such values as ‘non negotiable’”.
Benedict XVI concluded by thanking his audience for their service “to the Church and to society. How many human lives have you saved from death! Continue along this path and do not be afraid, so that the smile of life may triumph on the lips of all children and their mothers”. (VIS)
May
12
This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Mordechay Lewy, the new ambassador of Israel to the Holy See.
Addressing the diplomat in English, Benedict XVI expressed his “cordial good wishes on the occasion of Israel’s celebration of 60 years of statehood. The Holy See joins you in giving thanks to the Lord that the aspirations of the Jewish people for a home in the land of their fathers have been fulfilled, and hopes soon to see a time of even greater rejoicing when a just peace finally resolves the conflict with the Palestinians”.
The Pope also highlighted areas of mutual interest shared by the Holy See and the Sate of Israel, highlighting how “Judeo-Christian heritage should inspire us to take a lead in promoting many forms of social and humanitarian action throughout the world, not least by combating all forms of racial discrimination”. He also referred to “the cultural and academic exchanges that are taking place between Catholic institutions worldwide and those of the Holy Land” and recalled how dialogue between Jews and Christians “is bearing much fruit and needs to be continued with commitment and generosity.
“The holy cities of Rome and Jerusalem”, he added, “represent a source of faith and wisdom of central importance for Western civilization, and in consequence, the links between Israel and the Holy See have deeper resonances than those which arise formally from the juridical dimension of our relations”.
Turning to consider the question of “the alarming decline in the Christian population of the Middle East, including Israel, through emigration” the Holy Father observed that “of course Christians are not alone in suffering the effects of insecurity and violence as a result of the various conflicts in the region, but in many respects they are particularly vulnerable at the present time”.
Invoking the “the growing friendship between Israel and the Holy See”, Benedict XVI expressed the hope that “ways will be found of reassuring the Christian community, so that they can experience the hope of a secure and peaceful future in their ancestral homelands, without feeling under pressure to move to other parts of the world in order to build new lives.
“Christians in the Holy Land have long enjoyed good relations with both Muslims and Jews. Their presence in your country, and the free exercise of the Church’s life and mission there, have the potential to contribute significantly to healing the divisions between the two communities”.
“I do realise that the difficulties experienced by Christians in the Holy Land are also related to the continuing tension between Jewish and Palestinian communities. The Holy See recognizes Israel’s legitimate need for security and self-defence and strongly condemns all forms of anti-Semitism. It also maintains that all peoples have a right to be given equal opportunities to flourish. Accordingly, I would urge your Government to make every effort to alleviate the hardship suffered by the Palestinian community, allowing them the freedom necessary to go about their legitimate business, including travel to places of worship, so that they too can enjoy greater peace and security.
“Clearly, these matters can only be addressed within the wider context of the Middle East peace process”, said the Pope and, recalling the recent negotiations at Annapolis, indicated that the Holy See “prays that the hopes and expectations raised there will not be disappointed. … When all the people of the Holy Land live in peace and harmony, in two independent sovereign states side by side, the benefit for world peace will be inestimable, and Israel will truly serve as ‘light to the nations’, a shining example of conflict resolution for the rest of the world to follow”.
Pope Benedict also mentioned negotiations on economic and fiscal matters between the Holy See and Israel. “I know that I speak on behalf of many when I express the hope that these agreements may soon be integrated into the Israeli internal legal system and so provide a lasting basis for fruitful co-operation”, he said.
Finally, referring to the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and “the difficulties caused by continuing uncertainties over their legal rights and status, especially with regard to the question of visas for church personnel”, he concluded: “Only when these difficulties are overcome, will the Church be able to carry out freely her religious, moral, educational and charitable works in the land where she came to birth”. (VIS)
May
12
Catholic Church: a Point of Reference in Hungary
May 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The morning of May 10th in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received prelates from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, at the end of their “ad limina” visit.
“The people entrusted to your care”, he told them, “now stand before us spiritually, with their joys, their plans, their suffering, their problems and their hopes. … The long period of communist rule left a deep mark on the Hungarian people, and even today its consequences are evident, particularly in the difficulty many find in trusting others, a typical trait of people who have long lived in an atmosphere of suspicion.
“The sense of insecurity is accentuated by the difficult economic situation, which thoughtless consumerism does nothing to improve”, the Pope added. “People, including Catholics, suffer from that ‘weakness’ of thought and will which is so common in our times”. Hence, “profound theological and spiritual reflection becomes difficult because … of the lack, on the one hand, of intellectual preparation and, on the other, of an objective reference to the truths of faith.
“In such a situation the Church must certainly be a teacher, but always and above all a mother, so as to favour the development of reciprocal trust and the promotion of hope”.
The Holy Father then went on to speak of the effects of secularisation in the country, highlighting the crisis of the family which includes among its symptoms “a notable drop in the number of marriages and an astonishing increase in divorces”, as well as a growth “in so-called ‘de facto’ couples”.
“You have rightly criticised public recognition of homosexual unions, because it runs counter not only to the teaching of the Church but also to the Hungarian Constitution itself”, the Holy Father told the prelates, recalling how “the lack of subsidies for large families has led to a drastic drop in the birth-rate, made even more dramatic thanks to the widespread practice of abortion”.
Benedict XVI emphasised the fact that the crisis of values is also affecting young people, and he expressed his appreciation for “the many initiatives the Church promotes, though with the limited means at her disposal, to animate the world of youth with formational activities … that stimulate their sense of responsibility”.
He praised the bishops’ initiatives to “take advantage of and modernise such traditional activities as pilgrimages and expressions of veneration to Hungarian saints, especially St. Elisabeth, St. Emeric, and of course St. Stephen”. Pope Benedict then told the prelates that he shared their concern “for the lack of priests and the consequent overburden of pastoral work on the current ministers of the Church”. In this context, he invited them to ensure the clergy “do not lose the focus of their lives and their ministry and, as a consequence, remain able to discern the essential from the secondary, identifying the right priorities for everyday life”.
“Despite secularisation the Catholic Church remains, for many Hungarians, the religious community of choice or, at least, an important point of reference. It is therefore to be hoped that relations with State authorities remain characterised by respectful collaboration, thanks also to bilateral agreements”, the Holy Father said. Finally, in closing, he noted how the unity characterising the Hungarian prelates “in following the teachings of the Church is for me a cause of serenity and comfort”. (VIS)
May
12
Cause Opens for US Priest
May 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The cause for beatification for a 20th-century Massachusetts-born priest officially opened in Rome.The cause of Father Theodore Foley (1913-1974) officially opened Friday.
For 10 years, Father Foley was the superior general of the Congregation of the Passion, also known as the Passionists.
Cardinal Camillo Ruini, Benedict XVI’s vicar for the Diocese of Rome, described the priest’s life during the inauguration ceremony. He invited the Passionist Fathers to walk the way of sanctity, “which Father Foley followed with such dedication.”
Daniel Foley was born in 1913 in Springfield to a family of Irish immigrants. He attended the schools the Passionist Fathers, where he heard the call to the priesthood. He entered the Passionists congregation in 1932 and in the following year made his first profession, taking the name Theodore. He was ordained a priest in 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1958, Father Foley became the general consultor and assistant to the superior-general of the Passionists. He was himself elected superior-general in 1964, a post that he held until his death on Oct. 9, 1974.
Father Giovanni Zubiani, postulator of the cause of beatification, spoke of Father Foley as a man open to dialogue “but firm on the principles and charism of the congregation.”
Courtesy Zenit.org
May
12
The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity
May 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
How often have we made the sign of the Cross and invoked the name of the triune God without thinking about what we were doing? In its original meaning the sign of the Cross was, each time it was made, a renewal of our Baptism, a repetition of the words by which we became Christians, and an assimilation into our personal life of what was given us in Baptism without any active contribution or reflection on our part. Water was poured over us and, at the same time, the words were spoken: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
The Church makes us Christians by calling on the name of the Trinitarian God. From her beginning, she has expressed in this way what she regards as the truly definitive mark of our Christianity: faith in the triune God. . . [The Church’s] proper orientation is not to our hopes, our fears, or our wishes, but to God, to his majesty and his power. . .We must, therefore, learn anew to take God as our starting point when we seek to understand the Christian existence. This existence is belief in his love and faith that he is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
From The God of Jesus Christ by Joseph Ratzinger - Pope Benedict XVI
May
12
Where Religious Liberty Suffers
May 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Annual Report Criticizes Lack of Action
By Father John Flynn, LC
On May 2 the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released both its 2008 Annual Report and its recommendations to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on countries of particular concern.
The commission was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The act also requires that the United States designate as countries of particular concern (CPC) those states whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom.
“In the past year, violent government repression of religious communities in China, Burma and Sudan, among other countries, confirms that religious freedom is a vulnerable human right that must be protected by the international community,” said the commission chair, Michael Cromartie, in a press release.
The commission’s recommendations for the 2008 CPC list are Burma (also known as Myanmar), North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The actual designation of a country as a CPC depends on a decision by the U.S. State Department.
The recommendations are the same as in 2007, and the commission repeated its request from last year that the State Department put Vietnam back on the CPC list, from which it was removed in 2006.
In its press release the commission acknowledged that Vietnam had made “notable progress,” but at the same time stated that there have been “persistent abuses, discrimination and restrictions.”
The commission’s letter to Condoleezza Rice gave more details on Vietnam, stating that during a trip to the country in October 2007, it found that progress in improving religious freedom was very patchy. The commission also argued, contrary to the State Department’s view, that there continue to be religious “prisoners of concern” in Vietnam. In addition, authorities also limit human rights in general, the letter concluded.
In fact, the commission’s letter to the State Department spoke openly of its dissatisfaction over the lack of action on countries that seriously limit religious freedom. The letter noted that the State Department has not designated any country as a CPC since November 2006.
This delay in naming CPCs “may send the unfortunate signal that the U.S. government is not sufficiently committed” to seeking improvements in countries that are severe violators of religious freedom, declared the commission’s letter.
Iraq concern
The commission also publishes a “Watch List” that names countries where violations are serious, but less grave than those in the CPC group. The list is made up of the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria.
As well, the commission declared that it remains seriously concerned about religious freedom in Iraq. In 2007, Iraq was included on the Watch List, but this year the commission will shortly be making a visit to Iraq to investigate conditions. After the visit the commission will issue a report, along with any recommendations on what designation to give Iraq.
In the meantime the commission noted its concern for the “particularly dire conditions affecting non-Muslims in Iraq,” saying the minority faces widespread violence from Sunni insurgents and foreign extremists, and also persecution and discrimination from government authorities.
Another country where the commission’s report expressed dissatisfaction over the State Department’s stand was Saudi Arabia. After a recommendation from the commission in 2004, Saudi Arabia was put on the CPC list. In 2006, however, the State Department removed it from the list.
In its 2008 report, the commission commented that after two visits to Saudi Arabia in 2007, the panel remains perturbed over the lack of religious liberty. In fact, the report stated, the promises given by authorities regarding steps to be taken to permit more religious freedom remain unfulfilled. Not only that, but during the commission’s visits, the Saudi government refused requests for meetings with a number of key officials.
One of the conclusions drawn from the visits is that Saudi authorities continue to severely restrict all forms of public religious expression other than the officially approved version of Sunni Islam. “This policy violates the rights of the large communities of Muslims from a variety of schools of Islam who reside in Saudi Arabia,” the report stated.
The commission also highlighted the Saudi government funding of religious schools and literature that supports intolerance and, in some cases, violence toward non-Muslims and those Muslims not approved by authorities.
Growth amid trials
Turning to Asia, the report lamented the serious violations of religion freedom in China, but also noted that in spite of repression, religious communities are growing rapidly. Authorities endeavor to restrict religion to government-approved associations and engage in “sometimes brutal abuses” against unregistered groups, the commission commented.
Protestant house church groups and underground Catholic priests continue to experience the most intense coercion, according to the report. It also noted the Chinese government’s continued actions in demolishing Tibetan Buddhist structures and statues. Authorities even acknowledge that more than 100 Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns are being held in prison, the report added.
Myanmar was another country singled out by the commission for its violation of religious freedom. In fact, the already very poor record on human rights further deteriorated in the past year, the report stated.
Among recent abuses, the report mentioned the violent action taken by the military junta in putting an end to the peaceful demonstrations by Buddhist monks in September 2007. At least 30 deaths were reported, although some estimates are much higher, the commission noted. Thousands of people were arrested and hundreds still remain in detention.
Matters are no better in North Korea, where, the report stated, “Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief does not exist.” There is no evidence that religious freedom conditions have improved in the past year, according to the commission. Reports by some refugees speak of some 6,000 Christians imprisoned in a camp in the north of the country.
Most violent
In Africa the commission observed that in the past it had singled out Sudan, “as the world’s most violent abuser of the right to freedom of religion or belief.” Conditions have improved in recent times, but mainly just in the south of the country.
In the north, few changes have been implemented and all citizens, including Christians and followers of traditional African religions, are subject to the Islamic Shariah law. Muslims receive preferential treatment when it comes to government services, and conversion from Islam is a crime punishable by death.
Another African country examined in the commission’s report was Nigeria, where it described the government’s response to persistent religious freedom concerns as “inadequate.”
Among problems mentioned by the report were the expansion of Shariah law into the criminal codes of several northern Nigerian states; and discrimination against minority communities of Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria has also been severely affected by ethnic and religious violence in past years. Last year the situation improved somewhat, but even so the report said that dozens of people were killed and dozens of churches and mosques were destroyed in communal violence in several towns and villages in various parts of the country.
One of the last countries mentioned in the report is Russia. Although the nation is not singled out for one of the commission’s lists, the report nevertheless expressed concern about Russia’s increasingly fragile human rights situation, which it says directly affects the status of religious freedom.
Minority religious groups continue to face some restrictions on religious activities, the report said, and one of the major problems is the lack of a clear national policy on religious affairs. This means that the status of freedom of religion varies dramatically from region to region.
As the report clearly shows, religious freedom is under threat in many countries. Convincing governments to take action to change the situation is, however, not so easy to achieve. Courtesy Zenit.org
May
11
Cardinal Bertone Gets a Special Honor
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Given Historical Title of Cardinal-Bishop
Benedict XVI’s secretary of state was given the dignity of cardinal-bishop, a role held by only a few cardinals.Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was assigned the historical dignity with the titular see of Frascati. The see was left vacant with the death of Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo on April 19.
Cardinal-bishops are members of the highest order within the College of Cardinals. The dean of the college is elected from among their number.
The dignity is a historical reference to the roles formerly played by cardinals in certain major ecclesiastical offices associated with the See of Rome.
Today, cardinal-bishops are associated with one of the seven suburbicarian dioceses that make up the ecclesiastical province of Rome. These sees correspond to only six cardinal-bishops because the dean of the College of Cardinals takes the See of Ostia as well as the see he was assigned before his election to the rank of dean.
In addition to these cardinal bishops, certain patriarchs of Eastern Churches hold the rank.
Cardinal Bertone has been the Pope’s secretary of state since September 2006. Last July, he was sworn in as the chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church — the cardinal who oversees the affairs of the Church between the death of a pope and the election of a successor.
Tarcisio Bertone was born in 1934. He is a member of the Congregation of the Salesians of St. John Bosco. He was secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1995 to 2002 and archbishop of Genoa from 2002 to 2006.
Courtesy Zenit.org
May
11
The Fruits of Our Solitude; Comunion
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Dear Brothers and Sister
I am writing this in the evening of Pentecost Day. Each one of us will be in our places of prayer and solitude. Like those Disciples behind closed doors.
The Disciples were behind their doors in fear. The Spirit of God has led us to our places we are in this night. Jesus had told them ” In my Fathers House are many rooms.” All of us have been through various rooms on our quest to fulfil our vocations. Rooms in various churches and orders .In the evening of our lives we will look back and come to realise this was all indeed the work of Gods hands. Often despite ourselves we have been led to our Church and Religious Order.
Our stability in the monastic sense means we must now live our days out in these rooms which are for us the House of God.
” The grass is greener on the over side of the fence” so the saying goes. And that is a trick of the Devil to disturb our peace and make us leave our chosen path.
The truth is every Diocese and every Order has its mixture of people. We have the characters, the preachers, good pastors and so on. Occasionally we will find the very holy men and woman. The truth of our stability this night is there is nowhere else for us to go if we are to be obedient to the Spirits leading.
There is nowhere else we can stand. For us we have now reached the House of God, the Gate of Heaven.”
” You may come from you will in the world,
even from its holiest shrines, but once arrived
at the House of God and Gate Of Heaven, you
must become a saint, or you will never be one.”
Tonight I have spent a very long time looking at the flame of the sanctuary lamp and meditating upon it. A tiny fragile flame, sometimes still and sometimes blown around. For some hours surrounded by the darkness of the night. Always however giving way to the light of a new day. In the dark hours giving light and drawing all in to the light, and Eucharistic presence of Christ it witnesses to.
The above paragraph could well sum up the vocation and role of the contemplative communities within our church.
Some could point to the apparent poverty of our situation :
A small number of people in different countries yet claiming to be a community. Some will see we have crossed boundaries of jurisdictions to achieve this and wonder about our situation and what we are attempting to do.
Our response would be in the same manner of our father Saint Francis ” Poverty our only riches.” And flowing from this apparent poverty of a situation a deep communion can evolve.
The rest will evolve as we continue to be led by the Holy Spirit.
We must continualy surrender ourselves to the unexpected designs and plans of God .We must stay focused on the goal of our Religious Profession.
It is precisely because we have crossed boundaries and remain in our own places that we can continualy be open Gods Spirit and that we are so rich.
We bring the concerns of our different countries and Diocese together in our communion of prayer and fellowship.
It is in the very poverty of our communion that we must stay focused on God in our individually places of prayer and solitude .It is good this way and a blessing as less of the ” I” that is within us is focused on and we have to turn to God Alone to build our house. Let us never forget the warning of scripture;
” Unless the Lord builds the house …”
The more we can allow less of personal motive and ambition to come in to our lives the more we will be focused on God and open to the Holy Spirits prompting and leadings.
The fruits of this solitude are that souls will be touched by our prayer and hidden lives and so Gods presence will be revealed in the most unexpected ways to the most unexpected people.
We will be caught up in the mission of the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and goes in search of the one lost sheep.
Such lost sheep are people who are humanly and spiritually poverty stricken, people who are broken and insignificant, who are truly on the margins of the world, church and God. These people who are seemingly lost and abandoned will quietly be drawn in to Gods presence through our prayer and living out of our vocation as Poor Clare .
Many will point to us and say we are on the edges of the church. Our message to the church and the world is that to live on the edge is sometimes actually to be at the heart of the church and very centre of Gods heart.
Picture our poverty another way. We have become individual orders in our Diocese. We have grown to have many numbers. There are numerous Poor Clare Communities and hermitages.
People are knocking on our doors 24 hours a day for spiritual support.
When the ” numbers” grow and thrive, as proof of Gods blessing human nature often tends to intrude in to the purity of beginnings and the original vision. Personalities, organizational / jurisdictional complications, the desire for status, the growing need for money to maintain the establishment, the problems of administration, the pressure of other peoples ideas about us, will all begin to entangle one another like an octopus!
When the numbers come they will arrive with all sorts of different motives than our own. Some would come simply to use us and abuse our good will. Often we will be confronted with people who bring a life time of anti social behaviours that we will find difficult to manage .We will have said our sanctuaries are open to all without exception and yet we will struggle with such people.
At the end of all this those very people, the unexpected ones of God who through a prayer and times of ministry are responding tenuously to Gods call may well feel unable to come to such thriving places of prayer and hospitality .It is just the nature of things. The extremely poor and abandoned, mentally ill, and marginalized, will for the most part remain marginalized from any establishment that is bustling. But some lives ofcause will be transformed.
The purity of the poverty of our current situation is ofcause due to God. The purity of our mission and role in the church is currently protected by that poverty that some would question.
We are not in a situation where we have to write up and present detailed reports or accounts. When people led by the Spirit and not sought out by us suddenly, and unexpectedly come knocking on our doors they have been sent by God that we will simply listen and pray with them, no more and no less. Our time with them in person or through spiritual directions by letter, or email is Gods time for them.
For us Poor Clare’s there is a great freedom in this current situation .It is a freedom that simply leads to our daily availability to God, and openness to be used by Him for His hidden purposes and plans.
Another aspect of our communion is within the church itself. There can be no true religious life outside the church. Even if one of us eventually becomes a Hermit we will remain part of the church.
Each Poor Clare must show due respect to the Bishop of their jurisdiction and participate in Diocesan events and meetings .I feel this is very important that we come together and share fellowship with our Brothers and Sisters in each Diocese.
When we are questioned we must patiently explain and keep explaining how we see and live out our vocation. In reality the witness of our lives will be the best explanation.
What we all often forget is that it is just as important how we respond to those within the church especially if there is a difference of opinion on an issue.
We all to quickly can become frustrated and come to seeing a “me.” and “them” situation. This must never be our way. In the unity of The Spirit we are one. We must never forget there are many paths to God but one
destination.
On these paths people are at different points and different understandings. It would be a mistake for anyone to try and force issues. It is better to talk, and then pray and wait on the Spirit until we can come to a common mind. If we reverence the presence of Christ in each other we will be open to the truth God will speak through whomever it comes.
My dear Brothers and Sister on this holy day I want to conclude by putting before you a few simply ways we can reverence the presence of Christ in each other and continue to build our communion as a witness to the rest of the church and world.
As a sign of our communion I would suggest that each week we communicate with each other and share four simple things.
A passage of writing or thought that has spoken to us in the week, something that has made us happy, something that has made us sad and something we would like prayed for. If we faithfully completed this exercise we would over the months come to know each other well and a deep communion would evolve.
Following from this and as a consequence I want to draw your attention to an aspect of the early church. They held all things in common .We could hold our lives together in common.
We could decide that we will openly share with each other more deeply the joys and struggles of our lives.
We could not presume to take on a new project or work without first discussing it with the community and receiving the superiors and communities blessing and support. Indeed this is an aspect of the vow of obedience that all of us need to reflect upon more deeply. In the end we can witness through living these things and become a true community and communion. God forbid that on judgement day I as Guardian or each of us collectively as Poor Clare should stand before God and be asked why we wore the same habit but did not live the meaning of our vows and become more deeply united.
This Pentecost may The Spirit breath on us with life anew and through our dear lady poverty our only riches may we become a witness that God is alive and lives in His church. The church rebuilt that our dear Francis dreamed about and set about making a reality.
Brother Richard - Bruno O.F.C -Poor Clare Guardain.
May
11
Benedict XVI’s Pentecost Homily
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here is a translation of the homily Benedict XVI gave today when he celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Square for the feast of Pentecost.* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The account of the event of Pentecost that we heard in the first reading is placed by St. Luke at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. The second chapter is introduced with these words: “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together” (Acts 2:1). These words refer to the previous chapter in which Luke described the little group of disciples that assiduously gathered in Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension into heaven (cf. Acts 1:12-14). It is a description that is rich in details: The place “where they lived” — the cenacle — is an environment “in the upper room”; the 11 apostles are listed by name, and the first three are Peter, John and James, the “pillars” of the community, already integrated into this new family, no longer based on family bonds but on faith in Christ.
The total number of persons, which was “about 120,” a multiple of the 12 of the apostolic college, clearly alludes to this “new Israel.” The group constitutes an authentic “qāhāl,” an assembly on the model of the first covenant, the community convoked to hear the voice of the Lord and to walk in his ways. The Book of Acts emphasizes that “all of them devoted themselves with one accord to prayer” (1:14). Prayer, therefore, is the principal activity of the nascent Church. It is through prayer that she receives her unity from the Lord and allows herself to be guided by his will, as the decision to cast lots for the one to take Judas’ place shows (cf. Acts 2:25).
This community found itself gathered together again in the same place, the cenacle, on the morning of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, a feast of the covenant, in which there was commemorated the event on Sinai where, through Moses, God proposed that Israel be his property among all the nations, to be a sign of his holiness (cf. Exodus 19). According to the Book of Exodus, that ancient covenant was accompanied by a terrifying sign of power on the part of the Lord: “Mount Sinai,” one reads there, “was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently” (Exodus 19:18).
We find the elements of wind and fire again at the Pentecost of the New Testament but without the resonances of fear. In particular the fire takes the form of tongues that come to rest upon all the disciples, “who were all full of the Holy Spirit” and on account of that outpouring, “began to speak in other languages” (Acts 2:4). We have here the community’s true “baptism” with fire, a kind of new creation. At Pentecost the Church is not constituted by a human will, but by the power of the Spirit of God. And it immediately appears how this Spirit gives life to a community that is at the same time one and universal, thus overcoming the curse of Babel (cf. John 11:7-9). Only the Spirit, in fact, which creates unity in love and in the reciprocal acceptance of diversity, can liberate humanity from the constant tension of an earthly will-to-power that wants to dominate and make everything uniform.
“Societas Spiritus,” society of the Spirit: This is what St. Augustine calls the Church in one of his sermons (71, 19, 32: PL 38, 462). But already before him, St. Irenaeus formulated a truth that I would like to recall here: “Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and every grace, and the Spirit is truth; to distance yourself from the Church is to reject the Spirit” and thus “to exclude yourself from life” (Adv. Haer. III, 24, 1). Beginning with the event of Pentecost, this connubium or “marriage” is manifested between the Spirit of Christ and his mystical body, that is, the Church.
I would like to reflect on a particular aspect of the Holy Spirit, on the intertwining of multiplicity and unity. The second reading speaks about this, treating of the harmony of the different charisms in the communion of the same Spirit. But already in the passage from Acts that we have listened to, this intertwining reveals itself with extraordinary evidence. In the event of Pentecost it is made clear that multiple languages and different cultures belong to the Church; they can understand and make each other fruitful. St. Luke clearly wants to convey a fundamental idea, namely, in the act itself of her birth the Church is already “catholic,” universal. She speaks all languages from the very beginning, because the Gospel that is entrusted to her is destined for all peoples, according to the will and the mandate of the risen Christ (cf. Matthew 28:19). The Church that is born at Pentecost is not above all a particular community — the Church of Jerusalem — but the universal Church, that speaks the language of all peoples. From her, other communities in every corner of the world will be born, particular Churches that are all and always actualizations of the one and only Church of Christ. The Catholic Church is therefore not a federation of churches, but a single reality: The universal Church has ontological priority. A community that is not catholic in this sense would not even be a Church.
In this regard it is necessary to add another aspect: that of the theological vision of the Acts of the Apostles in respect of the journey of the Church from Jerusalem to Rome. Luke notes that among the peoples represented in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost there are also “foreigners from Rome” (Acts 2:10). At that time Rome was still distant, “foreign” for the nascent Church: It was a symbol of the pagan world in general. But the power of the Holy Spirit will guide the steps of the witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), to Rome. The Acts of the Apostles ends precisely when Paul, by providential design, arrives at the empire’s capital and proclaims the Gospel there (cf. Acts 28:30-31). Thus the journey of God’s Word, begun in Jerusalem, arrives at its goal, because Rome represents the whole world and thus incarnates the Lucan idea of catholicity. The universal Church is realized, the catholic Church, which is the continuation of the chosen people and makes its history and mission her own.
At this point, and to conclude, John’s Gospel offers us a word, which accords very well with the mystery of the Church created by the Spirit. The word spoken twice by the risen Jesus when he appears in the midst of the disciples in the Cenacle on Easter evening: “Shalom — Peace to you!” (John 20:19, 21). The expression “shalom” is not a simple greeting; it is much more: It is the gift of the promised peace (cf. John 14:27) and is won by Jesus with the price of his blood, it is the fruit of this victory and his struggle against the spirit of evil. It is thus a peace “not as given by the world” but as God alone can give it.
On this feast of the Spirit of the Church we would like to thank God for having given to his people, chosen and formed from all nations, the inestimable gift of peace, of his peace! At the same time we renew the awareness of the responsibility connected with this gift: the Church’s responsibility to constitutionally be a sign and an instrument of the peace of God for all peoples. I tried to be a conveyor of this message when I recently went to the headquarters of the U.N. to speak to the representatives of the nations. But one must not only think of these “summits.” The Church realizes her service to the peace of Christ above all in her ordinary presence and action among men, with the preaching of the Gospel and with the signs of love and mercy that accompany it (cf. Matthew 16:20).
Among these signs, the sacrament of reconciliation must naturally be emphasized, the sacrament that the risen Christ instituted at the same time that he gave his disciples the gift of his peace and his Spirit. As we heard in the passage from the Gospel, Jesus breathed upon his disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:21-23). How important and, unfortunately, how insufficiently understood is the gift of reconciliation that brings peace to hearts! Christ’s peace spreads only through the renewed hearts of men and women who have been reconciled and made themselves servants of justice, ready to spread peace in the world only with the force of truth, without compromising with the mentality of the world, because the world cannot give Christ’s peace: This is how the Church can be a ferment of that reconciliation that comes from God. She can do this only if she remains docile to the Spirit and bears witness to the Gospel, only if she carries the cross like Jesus and with Jesus. This is precisely what the saints of every age testify to!
In light of this word of life, dear brothers and sisters, may the prayer that today we address to God in spiritual union with the Virgin Mary become ever more fervent and intense. May the Virgin who listens, the Mother of the Church, obtain for our community and for all Christians a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit the Paraclete. “Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur, et renovabis faciem terrae — Send forth your Spirit and everything will be recreated and you will renew the face of the earth.” Amen!
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic] Courtesy Zenit.org
May
11
Pope Invites a Rediscovery of Baptism’s Beauty
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Benedict XVI is encouraging the faithful to rediscover the beauty of being baptized in the Holy Spirit.The Pope made this invitation today from the window of his study before praying the Regina Caeli with thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father gave his traditional Sunday greeting shortly after finishing the celebration of Mass for the feast of Pentecost.
The Pontiff first noted that Pentecost was an ancient Hebrew feast that became a Christian feast on account of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon Mary and the disciples in the Upper Room that day, 50 days after the Resurrection.
“In effect, Jesus’ whole mission was aimed at giving the Spirit of God to men and baptizing them in the ‘bath’ of regeneration,” the Pope said. “This was realized through his glorification, that is, through his death and resurrection: Then the Spirit of God was poured out in a super-abundant way, like a waterfall able to purify every heart, to extinguish the flames of evil and ignite the fire of divine love in the world.
“The Acts of the Apostles present Pentecost as a fulfillment of such a promise and therefore as the crowning moment of Jesus’ whole mission. After his resurrection, he himself ordered his disciples to stay in Jerusalem, because, he said, ‘In a short time you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit’; and he added: ‘You will have the power of the Holy Spirit, who will descend upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Galilee and Samaria unto the ends of the earth.’”
Church’s baptism
Benedict XVI said that Pentecost is thus, “in a special way, the baptism of the Church who undertakes her universal mission beginning from the streets of Jerusalem with prodigious preaching in the different languages of humanity.”
“In this baptism of the Holy Spirit,” the Pope continued, “the personal and communal dimensions — the ‘I’ of the disciple and the ‘we’ of the Church — are inseparable. The Spirit consecrates the person and at the same time makes him a living member of the mystical body of Christ, participant in the mission to witness to his love.”
This consecration and insertion into the mystical body of Christ, “is actualized through the sacraments of Christian initiation: baptism and confirmation,” he said.
“In my message for World Youth Day 2008, I invited young people to rediscover the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives and, therefore, the importance of these sacraments,” the Holy Father added. “Today I would like to extend this invitation to everyone: Let us rediscover, dear brothers and sisters, the beauty of being baptized in the Holy Spirit; let us be aware again of our baptism and of our confirmation, sources of grace that are always present.
“Let us ask the Virgin Mary to obtain a renewed Pentecost for the Church again today, a Pentecost that will spread in everyone the joy of living and witnessing to the Gospel.”
Courtesy Zenit.org
May
11
On Pentecost
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here is a tr